Five years of energy policy inaction threatens Hunter region's jobs

AGL’s announcement that it will be forced to curtail Tomago Aluminium’s electricity supply because of generator outages is very bad news for the Hunter region’s economy and threatens local jobs.

The decision to restrict Tomago’s electricity supply follows engineering problems at the Liddell, Bayswater and Vales Point power stations.

Tomago Aluminium and its workforce are paying the price for five years of energy policy inaction under the Abbott and Turnbull Governments,” Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson said.

“The fact is that investment in new power generation capacity has dried up as a result of the uncertainty created by the Coalition Government. If jobs are lost at Tomago it will be on Malcolm Turnbull’s head.”

Federal Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon said that while the mistakes of the past can’t be changed, the Turnbull Government must now stop the nonsense about extending the life of Liddell and allow AGL to quickly proceed with its investment plans in the Hunter.

“AGL plans to heavily invest in a Bayswater upgrade, new gas peaking station, pumped hydro, and large-scale solar and battery storage right here in the Hunter region,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“The only impediment is the behaviour of the Turnbull Government. Tomago is a reminder of how urgent that investment has become.”